This invention relates to pumping of liquids, typically water from a well in a remote arid location. A compressor engine is powered by a low temperature heat source which includes metal hydrides. A. A. Heckes and C. J. M. Northrup of Sandia National Laboratories had suggested use of a metal hydride/hydrogen reaction as a compressor engine. Their Sandia prototype heat engine was successful in proving a basic concept; however, their engine was susceptible to hydride poisoning and hydrogen leakage.
The present invention seeks to progress from the Sandia prototype in that:
1. Applicant's heat engine/pump is powered by hot water heated preferably by solar energy.
2. Applicant's heat engine utilizes proven metal hydrides heat transfer techniques taught, for example, in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,187 by Golben et al.
3. Applicant's heat engine employs a sealed magnetic piston as a work transferring medium. The sealed magnetic piston obviates need for dynamic type seals in Applicant's engine. Thus, Applicant is enabled to retain all of its stored hydrogen over the life of the engine which is designed to be twenty (20) years.
4. Due to Applicant's sealed magnetic piston approach (uses no dynamic seals) metal hydride alloy in the heat exchangers is never subjected to poisons such as oxygen and water vapor or inert gases which are known to enter similar devices through dynamic seals.